Mental Flosshttp://mentalfloss.com/node/54892/atom.xml2016-12-09T18:54:33+00:00http://mentalfloss.com/article/54892/11-offbeat-holidays-you-can-celebrate-february2014-02-06T12:00:00+00:002014-02-07T04:26:26+00:0011 Offbeat Holidays You Can Celebrate In FebruaryHannah

Sure, Valentine's Day gets all the commercial airtime and drugstore aisle displays come February, but we've rounded up plenty of other quirky holidays to celebrate on the other 27 days.

1. February 7: Bubble Gum Day

Celebrated annually on the first Friday of February, Bubble Gum Day proclaims itself a "FUNdraising Holiday." The occasion, which was started in 2006 by children’s book author Ruth Spiro, allows school children to chew gum—chastisement free—in exchange for 50 cents, which then gets donated to a charity of the school's choice. Since its inception, participation has spread to include libraries, children's museums, and even senior centers.

2. February 8: Laugh and Get Rich Day

It's not clear if the laughter is intended to result in vast fiscal gains or if the two activities are merely suggested as befitting one another with no causal relationship implied.

3. February 9: Man Day

The Sunday before Valentine's Day has been officially reserved as a time for the neglected men of the world to finally get some recognition.

4. February 11: Pro Sports Wives Day

And in continuing the trend of honoring beleaguered subsets of the population comes Pro Sports Wives Day, for the women who support the men who get paid millions to play a game. (There does not appear to be a Pro Sports Husbands Day, for what that's worth.)

5. February 13: Get A Different Name Day

On the 14th, the sentiment "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" is all about the rose. The day before, however, is all about the other name. This is the annual opportunity for people burdened with silly or undesirable names to insist that they are addressed in some more pleasing way and expect their friends and colleagues to do so.

6. February 13: Madly in Love with Me Day

February 13 is also a great day to celebrate everything, name and otherwise, that you don't hate about yourself. Conspicuously placed on the calendar, this is a day that makes literal the idea that you must love yourself before you can love another.

7. February 18: Single-Tasking Day

A day to do one, and only one, thing at a time.

8. February 20: Hoodie-Hoo Day

This is one for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere. It's a low commitment holiday: All you have to do is go outside at exactly noon (local time) and yell "Hoodie-hoo." This, supposedly will chase off winter. And frankly, it's about time someone figured out how to do so.

9. February 22: World Sword Swallowers Day

While we're not saying practitioners of the ancient art shouldn't get their own holiday, it's not clear how this is any different from other days, when people who can swallow swords should do just that, and people who can't definitely should not.

10. February 23: Curling is Cool Day

Note: This isn't just Curling Day; this is Curling is Cool Day. This is not a day to make curling the punch line of jokes, but rather an opportunity to embrace the Olympic sport and find out what about it, other than the ice, is so cool.

11: February 28: National Tooth Fairy Day

Don't tell your kids that this is basically the same thing as Mother's Day and Father's Day.

For an even more exhaustive list of holidays, historical anniversaries and notable birthdays, check out Chase's Calendar of Events.